In this blog we obey the laws of thermodynamics!

We’re So Fucked, But There’s No Light at the End of the Tunnel

Hello again. I haven’t written about politics or anything else lately because as my wife and I assumed full-time custody of my daughter, we’ve learned how much time that actually takes and how it drains your energy for other things. Well, that’s part of the reason. Mainly, it’s because as a country we are so fucked right now and there’s not much hope in sight. Sorry to be a downer, but it’s true. Let’s look at a few things and see just how bad it is.

The Cult of Trump. An aggregate of Trump’s approval rating sits at 43% right now. Holy shit, man. There is always a margin of error with those polls and also, people aren’t honest. I’m guessing there are a bunch of people who still support Trump but will not cop to it publically, in addition to his diehards who will never give him up. They’re Trump’s Rick Astleys. They believe Trump no matter how often it’s been proven Trump lies, no matter how much evidence of corruption there is. Trump will always have at least a 40% approval rating, and there isn’t much that can be done about that. But at least we have checks and balances, right?

A Silent Congress. In no way has Trump’s presidency been normal or even good. Amy Siskind has taken the daunting and disheartening task of chronicling, week by week, the abnormalities of this government. Check it out here: Bring a meal, you’ll be reading for a long time. With all of that evidence, you would think that either the House or Senate (or both) would be compelled to, you know, put some checks on the president and take some action. Thus far, we’ve mostly heard silence from Republicans in both branches, except for a few who are retiring soon and thus have nothing to lose by speaking out – and yet, no action from them, just words. Nothing is being done and Trump is acting as a dictator, doing what he wants with little or no input from anyone else because he knows he’s the best at everything. I’ve written several emails to my Representative, Paul Cook (Republican) asking him where he draws the line in the sand with Trump. I’ve yet to get a response. Fortunately, public officials can be voted out of office and we’re seeing that lately, with many seats at various levels changing from red to blue. Blue Wave 2018, right?

Voter Suppression and Election Tampering. Hey, remember that Supreme Court seat the Republicans stole, with the help of Mitch (I wish I believed in Hell because if it existed I know he’d rot there for eternity) McConnell? It’s already paying dividends for the Republicans. Get ready for the voting rolls to be purged. I wonder which party will have the most voters removed from the registers? Meanwhile, Trump still repeats the lie about millions of illegal voters and cries “no collusion!” while facts continue to mushroom-stamp him, to no avail. Meanwhile, Russia definitely tampered with the 2016 election.Meanwhiler, Russia is tampering with the 2018 election. Remember how much shit Obama got for his “more flexibility” comment to Dimitri Medvedev? Now, Trump can agitate our long-term allies and coddle up to dictators, and say that Russia should be allowed back into the G8, and Republicans don’t do anything. Not a thing. Please, Republicans, stop saying this is not your party. This is exactly your party and your complicity and silence reinforce that. On the bright side, we have the Mueller investigation to look forward to, that will provide us some relief, right?

The Mueller Investigation Won’t Take Down Trump. Good news, everybody! Paul Manafort just went to jail for witness tampering and this increases the likelihood he’ll turn on Trump, right? I have every confidence in Mueller and his investigation and I suspect he’s digging up some nasty shit. Just remember, though, the president rarely takes a fall. Reagan had Oliver North. Clinton had Monica Lewinsky. Bush had Scooter Libby. Trump will have Manafort. If Trump doesn’t get indicted by this investigation, that will be spun as the ultimate victory for him and he’ll coast into reelection in 2020 and continue to grift the country as he burns it down. Oh yeah, and he’ll get to appoint at least two more Supreme Court justices in that time, in addition to all of the federal judges he’s appointing, thereby ensuring lasting damage to the US. If Trump does get indicted, the chances of him being removed from office are slim and even if he does get removed, we’ve got Pence waiting in the wings. Here’s Pence in a nutshell:

Pence would be like Trump except that Pence is an actual politician, and might get more done.

So What Can We Do, Mr. Negative? There are two things we can do: protest and vote. Protests make your voice heard. Writing to your Congresspeople is a form of protest. March in the streets when you find your cause. And vote. I mentioned voter suppression and election tampering above. That can be overcome. Vote every damn time. Get your friends to vote. If you know somebody that doesn’t vote, work on them and get them to vote. We’re fucked, and it’s not hyperbole to say our future depends upon it.